Striking is a “last resort” but the province’s public elementary teachers need to send a message to the Ford government by voting in favour of job action, says their union’s president.
“Our members want this government to know that they are tired of the lack of progress at the bargaining table,” Karen Brown, president of the 83,000-member Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) said Thursday as the union wrapped up its annual meeting held downtown Toronto.
“ETFO members want to be in school with our students without disruption,” Brown said. “But we have been bargaining for a year. We don’t have deals right now because the government has refused to engage with us over many of the issues at the table. They are stalling and our members are tired of it. The ball is now in the government’s court.”